


Spidereye's Story

by Adastraea



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: AU where the canon books never occurred, Forest Territories, RiverClan (Warriors), ShadowClan (Warriors), SkyClan (Warriors), StarClan (Warriors), The Five Clans of the Forest, ThunderClan (Warriors), WindClan (Warriors), took some liberties with the canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-14 17:11:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16916958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adastraea/pseuds/Adastraea
Summary: Aspenpaw is chosen to fill the position of medicine cat apprentice after ShadowClan's former medicine cat passes away without a successor, but one StarClan cat refuses to accept her until they share a few words.





	1. Prologue

A quarter moon ago, her name was Aspenkit. A quarter moon ago, not yet allowed to explore the territories, not yet allowed to attend any ceremonies, Lionstar called her into her den to tell her about a dream she’d received. A quarter moon ago, her leader asked her to make a decision by tonight.

But tonight, her name was Aspenpaw- a name awarded to her under the cover of night, at the very border of their territory. Tonight, she trailed behind Lionstar and another warrior as they trekked up the steep slope to the Highstones. Tonight, StarClan would decide if she would serve as their new medicine cat.

The sudden turn of events made the young cat’s head swim. For the few moons she’d been allowed to roam the camp, the medicine cat’s den was barren of inhabitants. Occasionally another Clan cat would stop by- other medicine cats, she was told- to toss the rotting plants and treat those most in need.  It was only through stories that she knew of Rowanheart, his journey from warrior to medicine cat… and his passing, just a few short moons after his mentor.

And now, according to Lionstar… no, according to _StarClan_ \- she was to take his place.

From the elder’s tales she knew of a medicine cat’s connection to StarClan, the dreams and omens they interpreted. Aspenpaw didn’t know what she was looking _for_ exactly- but everything about the situation left her with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Was it the way Lionstar hid her naming ceremony from the rest of the Clan? Was it the shape of the moon that night, sharp and curved as a claw? Or maybe the way the clouds skirted the edges of the moon, waiting for the chance to plunge them into darkness?

Whatever the case, Aspenpaw made her decision. She’d accepted, for the sake of her Clan. And now, as she scrambled over the last boulder, untrained muscles burning and aching from the effort of climbing the stony mountain for the first time, the gaping throat of the Mothermouth greeted her. A ShadowClan cat, Aspenpaw never feared the night- but this was a more complete darkness that greeted her as her eyes strained to see into the tunnel. It was like looking down the jaws of a fox. Apprehension clawed at her belly.

Lionstar nodded without a word to Mistfang, and the warrior took up his post guarding the entrance. Aspenpaw marveled at how calm they appeared, how sure of themselves they must have been. She couldn’t let herself falter either- as much as she wanted to run back to the nursery and curl up in her nest.

“Stay close on my heels,” Lionstar murmured, and Aspenpaw pressed her shoulder to the older she-cat’s leg just to be sure. “The tunnels are winding and confusing to navigate on your first few tries.” With that, the leader disappeared into the void, her bright golden pelt vanishing entirely. There was no time to think- the apprentice darted in after her, nostrils flaring as she followed Lionstar’s scent down into the depths.

Her whiskers guided her along the tunnel walls as the path twisted this way and that way, and Aspenpaw quickly gave up on keeping track of the direction they’d come or how many paw steps they’d traveled. The tunnel was isolating, the air stale and thick; it was easy to believe that she was all alone in the world. There was only Lionstar’s scent, the faint dripping of water, and the cold slick rock under her pads. The path dipped down at a steep angle, drawing them down further and further to what seemed like the very belly of the earth.

Minute after minute passed, and as Aspenpaw’s fur started to prickle and raise at the thought of being lost, a soft glow appeared at the end of the tunnel. It was just enough to illuminate the last stretch, and the two ShadowClan cats paused just before the cavern, pressing against the rock as if to hide from the light. Lionstar twisted to look over her shoulder. Her eyes were a warm amber, and softer than she’d ever seen from the leader. Aspenpaw’s own gaze must have betrayed her anxiety, as Lionstar gave the apprentice a reassuring lick between the ears before nosing her forward.

Aspenpaw swallowed thickly. It felt like the full weight of the mountains above were pressing squarely on her shoulders- but her paws carried her forward dutifully.

The dazzling light intensified as she approached, washing over her grey tabby fur until it shone the same stark white as the cavern walls, until she had to squint to see the outline of the stone through its brilliance. Her shadow stretched high onto the cavern walls as she crouched by the Moonstone, tail wrapping around her paws tightly as she shrank before it. The she-cat inhaled deeply and, unsure of what to expect, pressed her nose to the icy rock.

High above the peaks of Highstones, a thin sheet of clouds covered the moon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for choosing to read this fic! Please note that I have taken some minor liberties with the canon, including how StarClan works and some other small details that may come into play later. I have tried to make these changes as clear in the writing as possible. All characters named and referenced are original characters. This story is set in an AU where SkyClan never left and the events of the canon books never occurred.
> 
> (It is also my first attempt to get back into writing fanfiction after a long, long hiatus- so this story is important to me.)


	2. Unheavenly

The transition from wakefulness to sleep was so seamless that it took Aspenpaw a moment to figure out what happened. Gone was the blinding light and the cold rock underneath her paws. Now she found herself in a clearing surrounded by trees. It was night, and yet everything glowed with a strange, faint, ethereal light- one that was only visible out of the corner of her vision, and quickly vanished when her eyes focused. Flickers of shadows darted back and forth just beyond the tree line, materializing into cat-like shapes as they grew closer. A whole Clan’s worth of cats- no, more- as many stars in the sky, all whispering in a thousand voices as they circled the clearing where she sat. Aspenpaw’s ears pinned back. Were they here to greet her? Chastise her for daring to think she could rise to the challenge? Chase her off with her tail between her legs? A million scenarios played through her mind, each one worse than the one before.

“Welcome, Aspenpaw, to StarClan.” The booming voice, closer than the others, made her leap to her feet and spin to face the source. A massive rock towered before her; perched upon it was a tall tabby tom. Stars clung to his pelt, dotting the streaks in his fur- the unmistakable mark of a cat long passed. Aspenpaw’s heartbeat skyrocketed.

“Are you… the leader?”

He barked out a laugh as the crowd mumbled, clearly humored. “I am _a_ leader- I was once leader of ShadowClan, long before Lionstar. My name is Briarstar, and I died many moons before you were born.”

His tone was so nonchalant that the apprentice didn’t know how to react. Death was something she, mercifully, did not have a lot of experience with. “I’m… I’m sorry.”

Briarstar’s whiskers twitched. “You are very kind to say so, Aspenpaw, but there is no need. I lived a long nine lives thanks to the skill of my medicine cat. Which brings us to the topic of today…” He paused, stretching his long limbs to leap off of the rock with all the grace befitting a seasoned leader. “Lionstar told you why we have called you here.”

Aspenpaw nodded. “She said she was sent a sign-”

“A sign? Pah!” A second voice cut her off with a snort. From beyond the tree line stalked forward a tiny she-cat, her long black fur greyed with age. One eye glowed a bright green; where the other should have been, there were only thick scars and an empty socket, partially hidden by a spiral knot of glimmering stars. “More like three separate dreams and a trip to the Moonstone!”

Briarstar blinked warmly at the interruption, even as the other she-cat’s tail lashed behind her. “Spidereye, we are here to welcome Aspenpaw to the path of a-”

“No, we are _not_ ,” she hissed. Aspenpaw winced. “I thought we discussed this, Briarstar- or did you not get the message? I’m not approving anyone for the position until I get a chance to talk with them.”

“ShadowClan’s been without a medicine cat for four moons now-”

“And they will _continue_ to be without one unless you step aside.” Spidereye’s tone left no room for argument, and despite her short stature she stared the leader down with her one good eye. At last, Briarstar sighed.

“She’s all yours. Best of luck, Aspenpaw.” He turned and, brushing his long tail against the apprentice’s shoulder, padded back towards the indistinct crowd. As his tabby pelt dissolved into the darkness of night, so too did the quiet murmur of voices as the remaining cats dispersed. An eerie silence fell over the hollow.

Spidereye sniffed. “Good riddance.” The elderly cat flicked her tail at the apprentice. “Let’s go.”

“Where are we going?”

“ShadowClan territory.”

“Were you ShadowClan, too?”

“Yes.”

“…But not a leader.”

“No.”

After Briarstar’s warmth and charm, Spidereye’s blunt words cut deep; Aspenpaw had the sneaking suspicion that the older she-cat did not like her, let alone _want_ her to become a medicine cat. But she obeyed, padding behind the StarClanner. The world seemed to rotate under her paws as they walked, whisking them forward with no effort. Stars streaking through the sky at a dizzying speed as they passed through the trees, across the black pavement of the Thunderpath, through the expansive marshes in just a minute’s time. Aspenpaw blinked as she regained her bearings- and her heart warmed at the familiar sight of her camp, blanketed in mist. But the haunting silence continued.

She chose to break it. “It’s empty.”

“Watch,” Spidereye grumbled, “and pay attention.”

Aspenpaw crouched, tucking her legs underneath her as she stared intently into the haze. Heartbeat after heartbeat after heartbeat passed as she watched it curl around camp, thickening by some dens, thinning by others. She was starting to doubt her own senses when it happened.

The mist swirled and condensed, and from the densest cloud erupted three black-and-white kits, yowling and chasing one another around the camp. The largest lunged forward to tackle the smallest, who hissed in protest and kicked at his face. “Get _off_ , Shadekit!”

Aspenpaw found herself grinning at the kits playing- but it quickly faded after a sharp look from the StarClan cat. Before them, the kits tussled- and what started as a seemingly simple play-fight escalated into a skirmish of growls and snaps and barely-sheathed claws.

“Shadekit, lay off!” Chided the third, bouncing on white paws, circling with worry around the tangle of limbs and fur as her siblings hissed and spat. “Leave her alone, you won already! I’m- I’m gonna tell Newtnose!”

“Do it!” The tom jeered, rolling away from the third kit’s grasp. “Swiftkit, you’re too mousehearted!”

“Leave her alone,” growled the smallest kit, picking herself up out of the dust, putting herself between the two siblings, her head low and fluffy kitten-fur raised.

The tom snorted, sticking his nose into the air. “She’ll never be a warrior with that attitude, and she knows it. And _you_ won’t always be there to protect her, Spiderkit.”

 _Spiderkit_. Aspenpaw tore her eyes away from the scene as the kits dissolved back into the mists, their voices fading into the background. Spidereye remained motionless, feathery tail curled tight around her paws. Even through the moons of age, the apprentice could see the resemblance- the short frame, the way the fur on her chest stuck out in odd directions as if hastily groomed. Though the scars twisted her expression into a permanent grimace, there was something longing in her one-eyed gaze.

“That… that was you.”

“It was a memory.”

“But it was… it was your memory. Those were your siblings. This happened when you were a kit!”

“It’s good to know you’re not a _complete_ mousebrain,” she retorted, and Aspenpaw frowned but clamped her mouth shut.  “That memory isn’t as important as the others. You will need to pay attention to the ones that follow, if you’re going to learn anything.”

Aspenpaw tilted her head. That was the whole point of being a medicine cat apprentice, right? To learn the herbs, the treatments, the signs? But Lionstar hadn’t said anything about learning tonight- and neither did Briarstar. But if this was what the StarClan cat wanted, if that was the only thing stopping her from garnering approval and fulfilling her Clan’s need, then she would do it. She had to.

The silver tabby sat a little straighter, puffing her chest out to feign confidence. “Okay, I’m ready.”

Spidereye grunted. “You’re not, but we’ll continue. Watch. Put yourself in my paw steps. We’ll find out soon enough if you can glean what you’ll need to be a competent medicine cat.”


End file.
